Driving Tips

[malcolmk14]

The proper way to treat merge lanes or closed lanes in heavy traffic is to drive all the way to the end of the lane and alternate (zipper merge) with traffic in the open lane.

If you don't do that, all you're doing is arbitrarily extending the lane closure or backing up the merge ramp.

[Philly06Cup]

Originally Posted by zamler

If you pass a bunch of cars that have already merged, or if the traffic is not moving or going slow, then you are the one being a dick.

NO. That is their problem for merging too early. Also, by not using the whole width of available road, they are creating a bigger backup, and making traffic slower.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

NO. That is their problem for merging too early. Also, by not using the whole width of available road, they are creating a bigger backup, and making traffic slower.

In a perfect world, maybe. But that doesn't happen, so you have one lane with slower moving traffic because cars are merging. The lane that is ending, you have the dickheads speeding to the very end of the lane to get ahead of 20-30 cars. This inevitably creates a mess because the cars have to merge at very slow speed instead of merging properly while they still had available road space. You can't go the the END of the merge lane, what happens if there is no space to merge into? People will be forced to slam on their brakes, or stop to let the dolt at the very end of the lane squeeze in.

[STeeLy]

The proper thing with lane closures is, if the traffic is flowing and there's room for you to merge, do it!

If the traffic is stopped, slowly drive to the end of the lane and merge at the end.

If you're trying to merge FAR before the lane closes, you're creating a traffic problem.

The key to merging with lane closures is driving slow... don't speed to the end of the lane.

If traffic is stopped and you don't have room to merge in, don't stop before the end of the lane to merge, slowly GO TO THE END

[DownhillGoat]

Just thought I'd give props to the OP for starting this thread and actively to to improve his driving. Most people wouldn't give it much thought other than "Oh great, now I have to drive more often."

Kudos.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

NO. That is their problem for merging too early. Also, by not using the whole width of available road, they are creating a bigger backup, and making traffic slower.

If the limiting factor is the fact there is a single lane where the construction is, they are not making traffic any slower by merging sooner. The same number of cars will get through at the same rate because the lane that ends does not add more cars coming out the other end. The only car that gets there faster your way is yours. Every other car behind you has to wait one car longer.

[ken0042]

If traffic engineers wanted people to drive to the end of a merge lane, there would be a solid line up until the point where they wanted you to merge in. Part of the reason traffic is slow is that people are going to the end and stopping, causing the person letting you in to stop or slow down significantly.

I challenge anybody to show me a driver's handbook that tells people to merge by going to the end of the lane and stopping.

Don't get me wrong; I sometimes do the very thing I say is wrong. SB Crowchild onto EB Glenmore; I go to the end in the left lane all the time. However if I cannot find an opening towards the end while going at speed, I am not going to stop and force my way in. The last time I went this way I was forced to do my "mostly legal" U-turn in Lakeview.

[schteve_d]

Yes, in that situation if there is an opening that you can slide into while you and all other vehicles around you can maintain speed that is a far better way to go then going to the end of the closing lane.

[DownhillGoat]

I'm not too sure how 'little-known' these 'little-known facts' actually are, but some good information here from a surprising source:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20106...your-life.html

[Titan]

Originally Posted by wormius

4x2x2?

16?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

I'm not too sure how 'little-known' these 'little-known facts' actually are, but some good information here from a surprising source:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20106...your-life.html

The only caveat I would say about the adjusting the mirrors trick; the problem is you have to ensure they are calibrated each and every time you drive the car. Of course by not having a reference point like the side of the car; it takes more time to ensure calibration then you save by shoulder checking.

All it takes is one person to bump your mirror and knock it out of allignment, and now you are no longer looking at your blind spot.